


Libertas

by AdrenalineRevolver



Series: CosettEnjolras AU [2]
Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: CosettEnjolras AU, Crossdressing, Period-Typical Sexism, possible eventual crack ship now oops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-05
Updated: 2018-11-05
Packaged: 2019-08-19 06:27:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16529195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdrenalineRevolver/pseuds/AdrenalineRevolver
Summary: The creation of Enjolras.





	1. A chance encounter

It had been a simple interaction that convinced Cosette of the need for her drastic measures. 

While walking with her father she had seen some students speaking to a crowd about the many injustices that the people faced. Every point that they made had been so right. She had lived some of these tortures and seen others face many more. 

“Cosette?” Her father seemed concerned about her wandering eye as he paused near the entrance of the shop. Ah yes, she had been accompanying him on errands as an excuse to get out of the house.

“Nothing Papa,” She glanced back at the boys and decided to take a bit of a risk. “Would it be alright if I waited for you out here? I won’t move from this spot.” 

“Ah, so young. So grown.” He seemed a bit frustrated with the boy’s existence and likely misinterpreted her interest for a desire for affection rather than treason. It was likely better that way. “I will only be a moment. Come inside at the first sign of trouble.”

“Of course Papa.” She smiled brightly as he went in and did her best to absorb everything the boys said. 

The one with glasses seemed to be absolutely brilliant. His facts and figures made her head spin despite the fact that she had relatively few things to do at home but try to find things to study. However it seemed to be lost on his crowd, they were looking for an obvious passion that while he very clearly had he showed in a way they couldn’t understand.

The boy with the curly hair did not seem serious, not at first glance. He smiled and joked however he was just as correct in his statements as the first and any pushback from the crowd didn’t deter him. He was just as passionate as the first however he hid it in laughter the way a lesson was hidden in a fairy tale. 

Cosette quite liked them. She wanted them to succeed in winning over the crowd.

“Don’t you have some fancy school to head back to?” A heckler was beginning to grate her nerves. 

“Run along home before you get shot schoolboys!” The old man was obviously drunk and she should ignore him entirely like the speakers were.

“Come-“

“Oh will you be silent! These men are doing their best to educate the populous and prepare you for the fact that help isn’t coming from the royalty! They are speaking the truth and you’re trying to chase them away to what end? If they leave your wages will not increase! Pretending to not see the pain around you will not remove it! There is no sin in simply stating the truth!” She couldn’t believe herself. Here she was supposedly a lady losing her temper with a drunkard in the street. Everyone was staring, even the boys.

The older man simply laughed rather than looking the least bit chastised. “No but lusting after strangers is, Mademoiselle.” Many of the crowd laughed at his crude joke as well.

She went red from her ears likely all the way to her toes. Did they truly believe that she would only say the things she did because she wanted the boy's approval? Was that all they ever thought a woman was capable of? She felt traitorous tears prick at her eyes and she wondered if the curly haired boy noticed as well because he seemed to shake off his shock.

“Ah but the lovely Mademoiselle is right! Help isn’t going to come from the royalty and leaving these truths unspoken will not change them!” He subtly glanced at his companion who seemed to take a cue of some sort. 

“Remember as well, before you criticize her that Liberty is a woman and has been since Roman goddess Libertas. Freedom is not something for man alone to strive for!” 

The relatively quick recovery and resulting interest from a few women in the crowd seemed to be enough to encourage the heckler to go find somewhere else to amuse himself. 

Cosette however was still flustered. That could have ended so much more poorly for her simply because of who she was. She could end up hurt or far worse dragged off to Salpêtrière and labled mad. As if maddness was something that you deserved to be put in that prision for. 

Yet, the feeling of everyone listening to her. Coming to those boys aide and then them definding her. Knowing that she was saying what was just and good. The thought that she could actually help. It was too wonderful to even think of giving up.

She would simply have to actually do something a bit mad. 

As she walked home with her father she planned. She had a dress she had outgrown that she had yet to donate that could work, and it was a striking red. She could likely make herself a lovely tailcoat. There might even be enough fabric left over to make a something else as well. 

What would she do about her-oh! Her eyes lit up when she watched a dandy stroll by. Some men are absolutely wearing corsets. While she doesn’t have one if she knit together a tight waistcoat to wear under her clothes it should have a similar effect she remembers prostitutes discussing it as she swept the floors of that awful inn. 

So long as it suppresses her chest her waist won’t be an issue, she’ll merely be assumed to be experimenting with modern fashion. 

As much as it pains her to think of stealing from her father she could always take a pair of his trousers and tailor them. My with all the fabric left over from cutting them down to her size she could make a waistcoat to go under her tailcoat!

It would seem indecent if anyone knew but she could use one of her petticoats as material for a shirt and cravat. 

Her shoes however she would simply have to purchase. 

She hoped a young man sneaking around Paris in slippers wouldn’t be too strange. She would need an explanation if asked. Perhaps, perhaps her sister damaged hers so badly that her sister insisted she wear hers to the market to get replacements? 

Or perhaps his mistress played a trick on her? Though. she had never been fond of the idea of taking a mistress. It was too easy for a man to simply flee the woman he’s made dependent on her. No she didn’t think she, well he, shall have a mistress. 

All this thinking of how she will do it but it just now occurred to her that she has no idea who she is becoming. She at least needs a name.

Something easily translatable would be to obviously fake, she thinks as she glances at a statue of an angel. However the sound stays with her some. ‘Ange’ rolls off the tongue in a way. She isn’t here to be angelic, at least not in the modern way. 

That’s it, angelic in the older way, the terrifying way. For once she wanted to thank the Thenardiers because if they hadn’t forced her to care for the ledger on top of everything else she would have never seen the surname Enjolras and never asked the Occitan man about it when she couldn’t under stand it. 

“It’s from enjeura, means ‘to terrify’ back home.” A simple enough explanation but she had been so deprived of contact that she actually remembered it. 

She sincerely hoped her “caretakers” didn’t cheat him too horribly.

Enjolras she would be, and unlike her Enjolras would be capable of being terrifying.


	2. Cendrillon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enjolras' slightly rocky beginning.

Her execution was perhaps a little less fantastic than her planning. 

After nearly a month of diligent work and a nerve-wracking trip to the market she finally had her disguise. 

This Enjolras was actually quite handsome if she said so herself. With the proper attire and her long blonde hair tied back she actually did look to be a feminine young man. 

With a bit of practice she began to play with her voice. Just bringing down her pitch didn’t quite work. It took bringing the sound from her throat and chest to sound like she could be a young man. It wasn’t perfect but when combined with the outfit it felt wonderful. 

It was at this point that she realized she had no further plan. 

As she had been so inspired by those students it would only be natural to seek them out. If she couldn’t find them near the place where she had met them then perhaps she could find them at their university?

That’s what she reassured herself with as she snuck out of the house shortly after her father left. She would find those students somehow. 

Paris was rather large when you were on your own. It was as freeing as it was terrifying. Having no one to stifle you also meant having no guide or protector. Still, she continued on to where she remembered last seeing the students.

There was no crowd gathered and it made her heart sink as she approached. It was bitterly disappointing to not see them speaking at the same street corner as they had been before. Almost more so was the fact that she would now have to make her way to the university and find them. At least Paris was more simple to traverse in trousers than in a dress.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If she recalled correctly the university had Law, Medicine, Sciences, Humanities, and Theology. Surely they would be Law students right? While the desire for freedom had no field of study they seemed to be well versed in the terms men of the law use. 

Having a guess of what they might be studying meant nothing if she couldn’t find them. 

In the end she simply walked around looking as if she knew where she was headed and counted herself blessed that no one stopped her. Her confidence grew as she realized others assumed her to be a fellow student. 

While passing one room she saw a familiar pair of glasses and opened the door without thinking. 

Immediately the professor turned on her. “What are you doing?” 

“M-My apologies sir I-I was just looking for someone.” Panic gripped her tighter than it had with the drunkard and she glanced up at the stranger from before who seemed to realize that she meant him. 

“Sorry sir, just a moment.” He hurried down and led her out.

“I’m so sorry it didn’t occur to me…” It feels obvious now that she did something rude, she wishes she had access to at least one public class so she would know the proper way to act. Papa just taught her the things she hadn’t picked up.

“I’m sure the professor will recover eventually. What was it you needed?” The man seemed kind which was intimidating in its own way. Everything was intimidating when you had such a ruse going. 

“I simply,” She sighed and collected herself. “I saw you and your companion speaking about the truths everyone else is too afraid to face. It moved me. I never thought I would hear those who had access to things such as a university education speak so loudly for those of us who have had to piece together what we have from scraps. My father is extremely protective of me so I must break in and out of my home to help you but that doesn’t change my mind. I can not allow the people of France to be exploited to their deaths by-“

The man quickly held up his hands and glanced around. “I believe you. Truly, I do. But believe me when I say that your words are quickly becoming dangerous for such a public space. Wait for me in the Cujas library. After classes and I can introduce you to some like minded friends.”

“That would be wonderful.”

“I’m Combeferre.”

Cosette probably puffed out her chest a little however it was the first time she actually felt sure of herself. “I’m Enjolras.”

Combeferre smiled softly. “A pleasure, now I must hurry back inside before the lovely professor decides to lock me out.”

“Have fun.” 

Judging by Combeferre’s stifled laughter these lectures were not typically fun. At least he didn't seem to be laughing at her. 

The library that Combeferre sent her to was a miracle. Wall to wall there were books primarily on law, she was unsure of where to even start. She knew none of these books would have the specific things she was looking for, nothing that could be a threat to the monarchy, but the access to all of this was well worth being snapped at by that professor anyway.

By the time she was found she had a dictionary and map on the table and book in her hands.

“I had hoped you would find that, most law students are assigned to read it in their first year.” 

She only jumps a little when Combeferre speaks. With him is the curly haired student that had first jumped to her defense, the one that had called her lovely.

“I must admit it takes a little extra effort to understand.” Cosette blushes slightly.

“Oh yes, I had to read it twice.” The curly haired man grins and sits on the edge of the table. “A map is good thinking, my tutor always tried to get me to use one. Did yours?”

“I never had one. I learned to read from keeping ledgers. Usually what I have to read at home is the bible, occasionally literature. This is all fantastic, if a bit confusing at times.” She feels behind but all the more excited. 

The curly haired man’s casual smile turns into an outright grin and he turns to Combeferre. “He is like Feuilly.” He quickly turns back to Cosette. “Forgive my rudeness, we have a friend that you remind us of. A working man who taught himself to read, I can’t help but to be in awe because I can barely be taught sometimes let alone teach myself.” 

He laughs and Cosette finds it contagious. She carefully puts her hand over her mouth to stifle it just in case the giggle risks giving her away. 

“I’m Courfeyrac,” He dramatically bows. “I heard you were so inspired by our speech that you nearly rushed into a class speaking treason.”

“I’m Enjolras.” Cosette blushes deeply thinking of the embarrassment. “I was a little carried away. I got too excited.”

“Excitement is nothing to be ashamed of, well in most cases.” Courfeyrac grins as Combeferre pretends not to notice the joke, which is great because Cosette didn’t quite understand it anyway.

“We would like to bring you to a meeting of ours tonight. You’re welcome to contribute if you’d like however you could also simply observe.” Combeferre offered.

“I would love to.” So long as she’s back home before about midnight, father should return then. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The meeting was fantastic. 

It was energizing. 

There were times where she forgot that she was pretending at all. 

There were times where she truly was just Enjolras. 

Enjolras the bright young man who didn’t have an access to a formal education the way the other students did but made up for it in what he had seen. 

Enjolras the angry young man who could speak with enough passion that even the drunkest of attendee stopped to listen. 

Enjolras the optimistic young man who truly believed that there was a light at the end of this suffering because he had experienced it. 

She did not think it could come crashing down with a yawn. 

Joly, as she had learned, checked his pocket watch with a yawn. “Oh dear is it half past eleven already?”

Cosette’s heart stopped. She couldn’t make it home in thirty minutes. “Half past eleven?” She echoed dumbly, her voice a touch too high. 

“That’s right, don’t you need to return home before your father?” Combeferre already seemed to be packing his things.

“Y-yes I, feel free to carry on I just need to...go.” She hurried out the door without another word. 

“Enjolras?” Someone called for her.

She doesn’t want to outright run yet. That will get too much attention. 

“Enjolras!” The person was more insistent but she still didn’t register it.

She rushed down a narrow alleyway, safety be damned.

“Enjo- Mademoiselle!” 

That stops her in her tracks. She turns around to find that Combeferre had been chasing her down this entire time. Literally chasing as he seemed almost out of breath.

“It’s not safe to go running off into the night alone.” He hurries up to her. "Not for anyone."

“H-How did you..?” She found herself still using Enjolras’ voice with Combeferre despite him knowing the truth.

“If I explain will you swear not run away like Cendrillon again?” 

“I still need to get home quickly, you’re welcome to run with me. I'm afraid I won’t turn into a servant girl at the stroke of midnight though.” She lets herself smile despite the situation.

“Then I suppose I should wait until we get to your destination so the combination of running and explaining doesn’t kill me.” He adjusts his glasses to make sure they don't fall.

Cosette grinned and took his arm before taking off running again. Combeferre, to her surprise, knew a wide array of shortcuts throughout the city. She supposed he had the opportunity to explore them whenever he wished or perhaps he had simply gone over a map of the city so many times that he remembered them. 

When they came up on her small home she quickly pushed Combeferre back into the alley that they had nearly barreled out of.

“We’re too late.” She pointed to the figure approaching the front door.

“Is there a back way?”

“Genius.” Cosette ran around toward the garden with Combeferre in tow.

She was glad Combeferre followed her out as she reached the back gate as she wasn’t quite tall enough to make it over the fence or in through the window. 

Combeferre helped her down through the window as quietly as they could manage but there was still the tell-tale sound of boots on the floor.

“Cosette?” There was a knock at her door. 

In a fit of panic she shoved the extremely kind and helpful Combeferre into her wardrobe and dove under her covers. 

“Yes papa?” She still sounded breathless. 

“Is everything alright?” Her father opened the door to see her tucked into bed with her hair carefully pulled back.

“I thought I saw a poor mouse in the corner and I jumped up to chase him away but I'm afraid I was still half asleep. Nightmares can be so dreadfully close to reality. Nothing to be worried over.” Cosette’s feminine voice sounded a little strange to her own ears after not using it all day.

“If you insist. Should you need me I’ll be in the garden.”

“Sleep well when you do.” Hopefully he would sleep soon.

“You too my dear. May no mice haunt your dreams.” 

When he was gone she breathed a sigh of relief, as did her wardrobe. 

Carefully she slipped off her shoes and her tailcoat before sneaking over to her trapped friend. She opened the door for him and lowered her voice to a whisper. 

“I am so sorry for this. I’m worried you may be trapped here for some time.” One day into her mission and she’s imprisoned a man in her bedroom.

“It could be far worse, your father could have found me standing in your bedroom in the middle of the night. If I were to die one so young would hope it was at least for the sake of the Republic.” She couldn't see him but she could tell by his tone that he was smiling. 

She giggled a bit but did her best to keep her volume low. “At least now you have all the time in the world to tell me how you knew I was a woman.”

“Your eyes to begin with, you had the same frightened eyes as Libertas when confronted in class. That is what Courfeyrac and I took to calling you without a proper name. You also spoke with the same passion. You then had no concept of how a university would work despite being traditionally well mannered and looking to be relatively well off. Meaning something other than your status was keeping you from an education. Your sense of pride when using the name you likely chose yourself only confirmed that this was something of your own doing. So I sent you to the library to be sure. A young woman with no access would drown herself in what she found while a young man who only recently became interested in the concept of freedom wouldn’t find it as novel.” Combeferre explained everything calmly and methodically. 

“That was a test?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Sorry, though one does need to be careful. Although, I am glad you were brought along to the meeting. I will admit that I was unsure how you would fare at first but when you were impassioned knowing who you very likely were made it feel as if Jeanne d’Arc was speaking for the cause.”

Cosette could feel herself blush deeply and was grateful for the lack of light. 

“You flatter me too much. I scarcely know what I’m talking about. I only say what I feel.” 

“As did she. In fact, she was illiterate and had scribes dictate her letters. What you don’t know you can be taught however that passion is something all your own.” 

“If I didn’t feel terribly about shoving you in here before I certainly would now. I still feel as if the moment I help you escape father will come back in to check on me.” 

“Perhaps I should wait until he is gone to leave?” Combeferre suggested.

“You mean to spend the night here?” The only reason Cosette didn't sound scandalized is because it would be entirely hypocritical at this point.

“It wouldn’t be ideal however it’s better than being caught.” 

“I wouldn’t mind, though I will need to change.”

Combeferre was silent for a moment. “R-right, yes of course. Take what you need. I can’t see much of anything so I won’t mind if you just shut the doors while you change.” 

Cosette carefully reached around him and grabbed what she needed before slowly shutting the door. 

Technically she undressed with a man in her room. Now it’s dark and he’s in her wardrobe however, the facts are still there. 

Once into her nightclothes she stuffed her disguise under her bed, grabbed a spare pillow, and opened the wardrobe back up. 

“This should hopefully make things a little more bearable. I won’t mind if you need to move my things.”

“Thank you.” The shadowed figure took the pillow.

“If at any point you feel like it’s safe to leave you may, as I have no where to be I’m not always up with the dawn.” She sat on the edge of her bed and wished she could simply share it with him. There are some things a change of clothing doesn’t seem to overcome.

“Not to worry, I usually am. Will you be at our next meeting?”

“If I am welcome you can not keep me from it.”

“You always are.”

“Thank you. Goodnight Combeferre.” She couldn’t help but yawn.

“Goodnight Enjolras.”

In the morning when Cosette woke her wardrobe was neat and empty however in it was a note with the time and date of the Amis de l'Abc next meeting to ensure that she didn’t miss it. 

To say that she counted the hours would be an understatement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Real talk: Shortly after I wrote the Joan of Arc bit I re-read what I had written and was like 'CombeFERRE ARE YOU FLIRTING?' Because like in the span of one day he has compared Cosette to a goddess, a princess, and a saint. I have absolutely no clue where that one came from. I guess while Marius is into Cosette and Grantaire is into Enjolras he's rapidly developing a thing for the person in the middle??? I'm not sure I just know it was cute and I had no idea it was even happening. This is going to turn into a reverse harem anime oh my god.
> 
> Also- The French "Cendrillon" is literally just the Disney version of Cinderella complete with pumpkin chariot and glass slippers. Like nothing is taken from the Brother's Grimm version which is great because imho the bros grimm hated women and used shock value violence to entertain.

**Author's Note:**

> Next chapter is an adorable example of how sometimes characters just flee from you and write their own stories.


End file.
